Drier.



H. P. 00E.

DRIER. APPLICATION Plum. D30. 12, 910.

3 SHEE'IS-SHEET l.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED 11110.12, 1910 v 1,000 ,3'76 Patented Aug. 15,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wi'iizeo'd'ed v Mo 0 wmm 11. P. 005. DRIER.

APPLIOATIONTILED DBO. 12, 1910.

Patented Au 15,1911

3 SHEgTS-SHEBT 3.

. fgov Q .c Far/P wemfan tinrrnn srarns PATENT osrrcs.

HARRY P. COE, 0F PAINESVILLE, OHIO, .ASIGNOItjTO THE ODE MANUFACTURING COM- 7 PANY, 0F PAINESVILLE, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

' DRIER.-

Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted Aug. 15, 1911.

Application filed December 12, 1910. Serial No. 596,756;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY P. Con, a citizen of the United States, residing at Painesville, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Driers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists of improvements in the kind of driers whose greatest field of usefulness is in drying and straightening strips of wood veneer and other thin pieces of lumber, although such driers are not necessarily limited to this particular use.

The object of the invention is to provide an efiicient, durable and economical drier into which the wet pieces of veneer or thin lumber or other material may be fed at one end, and from which the same pieces, dried and straightened, and ready to be piled up,

are delivered at the otherend. The drier accompanying drawing, and are hereinafterdescribed at length and nitely in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan View pointed out defiof a drier embodying the invention, it

being understood that a long stretch of the drier intermediate of its ends has been left out. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said drier. In this figure at the left thereof a part of the outer wall of an air duct is broken away; and a portioii at the right side of the figure is shown in vertical section through the feeding rolls. Fig. 3 is a sectional end view in the plane indicated by line 33 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation partly sectioned, and partly with the side of the air duct removed, said View being from-the right side of Fig. 3.

The drier requires a solid foundation A which may be made of concrete. Fixed to this foundation are two parallel channel bars B laid with their channels uppermost.

The drierframe includes two parallel longitudinal base members C, C, which are connected at suitable intervals by horizontal cross beams 0'; the vertical standards D which are fixed upon these beams and are'placed about eight inches, more or less, apart; and upper longitudinal beams F which are fixed to the upper ends of these standards,.and

are connected at suitable intervals by transverse beams f. The lower beams O, C, rest upon rollers I which are seated in the channel bars B. The feeding end of the structure, (the left end as shown in Figs. 1 and 2) which is the coolest end is anchored against movement,but from this anchor point to the delivery end of the machine the entire structure may move freely on these rollers, as may be required as the structure expands and contracts under the different conditions of use and temperature. The anchoring device, as shown, consists of arms Y embedded in the concrete foundation A, and'extending up through holes in channel bars B and in the frame members C, C; and set screws Z mounted in the arms Y for engagement with the frame members C, C. This particular form of anchoring device is not an essential part of the invention.

The standards D are arranged in pairs, one on each side of the structure. Each pair of standards furnishes the bearings for various pairs of transversely extended horizontal rolls. In the construction shown there are four pairs of rolls supported by each pair of standards, although there may be any number required. Each pair of rolls belong to a horizontal'row of pairs of rolls by which a piece of lumber-may be drawn through the drier. The lower roll E of each pair has ends. 0 of reduced diameter which are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings formed by. cylindrical holes in the standards I). The upper roll G of-each pair .has also reduced ends (I which are passed through vertical slots (1? in said standards,-the slots being about as wide as the diameter of said ends. On one side of the drier each projecting end of the lower rolls is provided with a sprocket wheel e. At the other side of the drier eaeh'lower roll has fixed to its projecting end a spur gear 6 which meshes with a spur gear 9 of the same size fixed to the projecting end of the associated upper roll. A long endless sprocket chain H drives all of the lower rolls in any horizontal row, the upper stretch of the sprocket chain going over; and engaging with the sprocket wheels e referred to, and the lower stretch running in a trough (Z fixed to the standards D. Just beyond the delivery end (the right. end of Fig. 2) of the drier each sprocket chain runs over a sprocket wheel J, which, being driven by suitable mechanism, will cause the sprocket chain to move. It has not been thought necessary to show the bearings for these driving sprockets, or the means for turning them; because there is nothing new in these parts. The bearings, however, may and should be immovable. At the feeding end of the drier each sprocket goes over an idler sprocket K, and each of these sprockets is rotatively mounted on its associated slide L whichvis movably mounted in horizontal guide grooves in the sides of a fixed standard D; said slide being fixed in position by a set screw Z.-

The described means for turning the lower rolls in each horizontal row is ,not affected as to its efliciency by the expansion and contraction of the drier; because the idler sprocket K is carried by a fixed standard adjacent to the anchored end of the drier frame, and the driving sprocket J is mounted on, bearings which are independent of and not supported'by the drier frame.

From the foregoing description, it is evi-" dent that when the lower'rollsare driven they will all rotate at like speed; that the upper rolls will turn at the same rate, but in the opposite direction ;and that these upper rolls will bear upon the pieces passing between the rolls at a pressure determined by the weight of the rolls themselves; and that said upper rolls will automatically move up or down and accommodate themselves to pieces of different thicknesses, and to all inequalities in the thickness of any piece. Because of this automatic movement of the upper rolls, the passage of' the pieces through the drier, without breakage, is assured.

The described drier is preferably divided longitudinally into three sections, viz., a feeding-in section at the feeding end of the drier (the left end as shown in Fig. 2), a cooling section at the delivery end of the drier (the right end as shownin Fig. 2), and a drying chamber intermediate of these two end sections. The drying chamber only of these three sections is inclosed, and itincludes thdgreater part of thc entire length of the drier. Indeed the feeding end sec- 'fcet.

rolls G are preferably omitted; and the some ofthe standardslv D.

tionis commonly only about five feet long; the cooling section need not exceed ten feet and may be in some cases less; while the length of the entire drier may be,-and generally should be well over one-hundred In the feeding-in section the upper standards D need not therefore have the vertical slots d"; and these rolls G may be, but preferably should not be omitted from the cooling section.

The drying chamber 2 is closed at the top by roof plates 7 secured upon the frame members 7. The cement foundation furnishes the floor. Air flues M and M are arranged along each side of the drying chamber, but not alongside of the feedingin section or cooling section. are in free communication with the drying chamber through the sides thereof, between standards D. These air fines may be formed.

by brackets P, P fixed to the lower and upper longitudinal frame members C and F, floor and roof plates Q and Q secured to said bracket, and doors R which may be secured in place in such wise that they may be easily removed in order that one may get into the drying chamber for any desired purpose, such as repairing or replacing the parts therein.

The ends of the drying chamber are These flues closed, save by plates S, S, which are separated far enough to permit the passage between them of. the pieces of lumber which are being treated. Steam headers W located behind these plates have their ends, which are reduced in size, supported in hori zontal slots (2 in adjacent standards D Steam pipes 20 extend horizontally and lontudinally through the drying chamber from the headers at one end thereof to the headers at the other end thereof. These steam pipes '21; pass between the horizontal pairs of rolls, and their function is to heat the pieces of lumber, and the air which circulates around them, so as to hasten the evaporation of the moisture in said pieces of lumber. These steam pipes w are upheld at numerous points intermediate therein by cross bars d which fit into notches in btackets d formed on From the foregoing it is evident tha as the steam pipes expand and contract, th headers with which they are connected may move longitudinally on the standards D by which they are sup- At' the feeding end 'of the drier the stack R is connected with the drying chamber, and through this stack th' moisture laden a-ir escapes. Air, which has preferably been heated, is forced into the drying chamber at fluesM, M and discharge air down into the suitable intervals. The main air pipe T extends longitudinally over the drying chamber. At intervals branch pipes 25 from this main air ipe T extend to and are connected with t e tops of the two lateral air same.

In using the described drier the wet pieces are fed into the feeding end of the machine near the stack, and are slowly drawn through the drying chamber by the rolls, between which they pass. The heat from the steam pipes hastens the evaporation of the moisture in these pieces. The currents of air delivered into the air flues M, -M' and thence into the drying chamber through the sides thereof assist this evaporation and absorb the moisture and carry it toward the stack move in a reverse direction to that in which at the feeding end of the machine.

It will be noted that thepieces of lumber the air streams flow; that is to say they pass from the coolest and most moist part of the drier toward the hottest and driest part thereof. These pieces of lumber which have been dried in the drying chamber are carried therefrom between the plates S to the cooling section. This is not inclosed, and therefore these dried pieces, before they are discharged from the terminal rolls, will be cooled so that they may be more easily handled; and they will be in such condition that they may be piled up without danger of subsequently warping toanyconsiderable extent.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a drier, the combination of a drying chamber, horizontal rows of pairs of trans versely extended feeding rolls in said chamber, the lower roll of each pair having a Sprocket wheel fixed to it, and the.upper roll of each pair being freely "movable vertically in its bearings, and both rolls of each pair having inter-meshing gears, a long endless sprocket chain associated with each horizontal row of lower rolls'and engaging with all of the sprocket wheels .in the row, a driving sprocket in one loop of each sprocket chain and mounted in fixed bearings located near thedelivery end of the drier, an idler sprocket wheel in the other loop'of each, sprocket chain, and means for adjusting the position of the idler sprocket lengthwise of the drying chamber to keep the sprocket chain taut.

2. In a drier, the combination of a drying chamber which is mounted on rollers whereby it is' enabled to movefreely as it expands and contracts, means for anchoring the feeding end of said drier against said move ment, horizontal rows-of pairs of transversely extended feeding rolls in said chamber, the lower roll of each pair having a sprocket Wheel fixed to it, and the upper roll of each pair being freely movable vertically in its bearings, and both rolls of each pair having inter-meshing gears, a long endless sprocket chain associated with each horizontal row of lower rolls and engaging with all of the sprocket wheels in the row, a driving sprocket in one loop of each sprocket chain and mounted in fixed bear ings located near the delivery end of the drier, an idler sprocket wheel in the other loop of each sprocket chain.

3. In a drier, the combination of a drying chamber, horizontal rows of pairs of transversely extended feeding rolls in said chamber, the lower roll of each pair having a sprocket wheel fixed to it, and the upper roll of each pair being freely movable vertically in its bearings, and both rolls of each pair having intermeshing gears, a long endless sprocket chain associated with each horizontal row of lower rolls and engaging with all of the sprocket Wheels in the row, a driving sprocket in one loop of each sprocket chain and mounted in fixed bearings located beyond the delivery end of the drier, an idler sprocket wheel in the other loop of each sprocket chain, steam pipes'extending longitudinally through said drying chamber, headers in each end of the drying chamber with which said steam pipes are connected, and header supporting standards on which the headers are supported and permitted to move freely lengthwise of the drying chamber as the steam pipes expand and contract.

4:. In a drier, a drying chamber frame comprising two parallel longitudinally extended and connected bottom members, ver tical standards secured thereto, longitudinally extended top members which are connected together and are fixed to the upper ends of said standards, said standards having cylindrical bearings and above them vertical slots, pairs of feed rolls rotatably mounted in said standards, the lower roll of each pair being mounted in cylindrical bearings and the upper roll of each pair having reduced cylindrical ends which are mounted in vertical slots throughthe standards above said cylindrical bearings, inter-meshing spur gears fixed to the rolls of each pair, and means for turning all of the lower rolls in unison.

-5. In a drier, the combination of a drier frame, a drying chamber supported thereby and closed at top and bottom, air flues at the sides thereof and communicatin with the drying chamber through said si es, an uninclosed feeding section, at one end of the drying chamber, an uninclosed open cooling section at the other end of the drying chamber, transverse feed rolls in the feeding section, the drying chamber, and the cooling section, driving mechanism for. turning all of said feed rolls in unison, plates secured In testimony whereof, I hereunto. aflix my across the ends of 13h?l drying chafmtier but signature in the presence of two witnesses. separated to permit t e passage 0 t e material being dried, steam pipes in the drying Y chamber, a stack connected With the drying Witnesses: chamber near the receiving end thereof, and E. L. TIIURSTON, air pipes discharging air into said air Hues. v H. R. SULLIVAN. 

